Apparatus for removing articles from a pile



June 7, 1932. 1,862,386

A ARATUS: FOR REMOVING ARTICLES FROM A PILE Filed Dec. 1.9 193.0.

Patented dune F, 1932 PATENT Fi ht JOHAN'NES NEFF, OF DRESDEN, GERMANY,ASSIGNOR TO FIRM f UNIVERSELLE CIGA- RETTEMASCHINEH-FABRIK J. C. MJ'LLER & 60., F DRESDEN, GERMANY APPARATU$ REMOVING ARTICLES FROM A PILEApplication filed December 19, 1930, Serial No. 503,480, and. in GermanyAugust 22, 1930.

The removal of articles from a pile has hitherto been effected by areciprocating ram which operates at the upper or lower end of amagazine, and which at every working stroke removes one or more articlesfrom the pile, and thrusts them forward in the direction of the stroke,this ram hitherto being generally shaped stepwise, i. e. provided onboth sides of its effective end surface with surfaces, one of whichprevents the article from falling out of the pile when the ram iswithdrawn, while the other, after the ram has passed, remains behind andprevents the articles from following up until the ram has returned toits initial position. This known and much used arrangement involved thedrawback that only a very small part of the stroke of the ram wasavailable for the advancement of the articles in the magazine.

Now a certain time is always necessary for the advancement of thearticles, which time varies according to the size and the weight of thearticle in question. If at the beginning of the working stroke of theram the article has not yet been fully advanced this leads to thedestruction of the article by the ram. With these devices withstep-shaped rams, therefore, in order to prevent stoppages, a certainworking speed cannot be exceeded. This also applies to devices in whichthe articles are prevented from falling out of the magazine by astationary base plate and the pile of articles rests on the back of asquare ram as long as the latter is in the magazine.

According to this invention the reciprocating ram, during its idlestroke, is passed outside the working path. In this manner during thewhole idle stroke, the articles have time to advance, as now the ramencounters thpile during the working stroke. It is therefore possible toincrease the working speed considerably without causing stoppages.

One form of construction of the invention is illustrated in the annexeddrawing, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is a cross section, and

Fig. 3 is a plan.

On the plate 1 of the machine frame guide rods 3 are secured by means ofthe brackets 2, and on these guide rods a carriage 4 slides. Thiscarries on its lower side racks 5 which engage with the cogwheels 6. Thesaid cogwheels 6 are reciprocally rotated by means of a crank mechanismto be presently described. Thereby reciprocal motion of carriage 4 iseffected.

The ram 8 is pivotally mounted at 7 on the carirage 1, and carries aroller 9 which travels on a rail 10 during the reciprocating movementsof the ram. A spring 11 ensures that the roller remains in constantcontact with the rail.

The rail 10 is a part of a frame adapted to be displaced in verticaldirection, this frame being formed by the tie rods 12 and the transversemember 13. The tie rods 12 are slidably mounted in the bushings 14: onthe plate 1. mounted a roller 15 which engages a cam 16. This cam isshaped in such manner that the frame 10, 12, 18 is in its upper positionduring the working stroke of the ram, and in its lower final positionduring the idle stroke. Thus the ram which travels with its roller 9along the rail 10, during the working stroke, passes the magazine 17,and removes therefrom one or more articles or layers of articles (in theembodiment shown, layers of cigarettes). During the idle stroke the ramis passed under the magazine. Consequently during the whole of the idlestroke, the articles have time to advance.

It should be noted that the two gear wheels 6 have a common axle 19,which is mounted in the bearing 1 secured to the plate 1. The arm 20 isalso mounted on the axle 19, and the link 21 is secured to this arm at-20. This link is also secured to the crank pin 22, which is mounted onthe cam 16. The gear wheels 6 which operate the carriage are also drivenby the main shaft 23 on which the cam 16 is mounted.

My invention may be modified without departing from the spirit thereofand I do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the bestmeans I know of On the transverse member 13 isv carrying the same intopractical efi'ect, I claim 1. Apparatus for removing articles from apile comprising a ram, a reciprocally movable carriage to which said ramis is pivoted and control members that engage said ram and swing it toand fro relatively to said carriage, said control members including areciprocally movable rail and a roller on said ram adapted to travelover said rail.

2. Apparatus for removing articles from a pile comprising a ram, areciprocally movable carriage to which said ram, is pivoted and controlmembers that engage said ram and swing; it to and fro relatively to saidcarriage, said control members comprising a reciprocally movable frame,a rail mounted on said frame and a roller mounted on said ram andadapted to travel over said rail.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

JOHANNES NEFF.

